I teach upper division courses on the Neurobiology of Memory (PSY 491/591), Cognitive Psychology (PSY 410), and the History of Psychology (PSY 405).  My philosophy of teaching leans heavily towards promoting students’ own inherent, but sometimes latent, interests in questions about the mind, behavior, and the brain.  Emphasis is placed on understanding the mind as an evolved adaptation that can be understood using the scientific method; i.e., the mind is a natural phenomenon. Much of my teaching involves working closely with students on their own research projects and on projects in my laboratory (see below).  I spend most of my time in the laboratory working directly with undergraduate and graduate students who are discovering new facts about memory, the brain, and recovery from brain injury.

Research

Our laboratory studies memory and memory disorders with special emphasis placed on restoring memory function after brain injury.  We call our research “regenerative neuroscience” and it focuses on promoting the birth of new neurons in an area of the brain called the hippocampus.  The hippocampus is known to be important in forming long-term situation- and fact-specific memories (i.e., episodic and semantic memories).  Unfortunately, the hippocampus also is a target of numerous memory-robbing diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Undergraduate and graduate students who are involved in our research learn and master methods used for analyzing behavior, psychopharmacology, neurosurgery, and techniques for visualizing the structure of the brain at the microscopic level, including immunofluorescent cell labeling and laser scanning confocal microscopy.  The activities of the laboratory are supported by grants from the National Institute for Mental Health and the National Science Foundation.  In collaboration with Memory Assessment and Research Services, LLC., our laboratory also studies human memory and subtle changes in memory performance that are early indicators of the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer’s dementia (see www.memoryassement.com).  Another component of our human memory research, in collaboration with Lloyd Smith (President, Cortech Solutions, LLC.), involves measuring the electrophysiological activity of the brain while new memories are being formed and already established memories are being accessed. One goal of our work with Cortech Solutions is to identify brain activity patterns that are associated with accurate versus inaccurate memory recognition.

 Extracurricular Interests:  Being with my children and wife, endurance fitness, playing the guitar, and promoting the ideals of liberalism.